Digital Pakistan : K-P increases youth employment prospects

In a bid to reduce the province’s unemployment rate, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information and Technology Board (KPITB) has effectively created over 7,311 direct and indirect employment opportunities for its youth. In the process, the technology board has also reportedly trained some10, 700 individuals in a range of digital skills, who have since generated Rs 2, 56 million in revenue, benefitting over 59,687 individuals across the K-P

According to details issued by the department, 12 per cent of its graduates have been successful in securing full-time employment. While another 12 per cent are reported to be self-employed, 33 per cent are employed part-time and over 43 per cent have found various freelancing opportunities using their newly acquired digital skills.

Speaking about the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Youth Employment Program (KPYEP), Project Manager Muhammad Shaib Yousafzai said that they have so far trained over 1,200 youths from across the province, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme. “Our graduates have conquered various feats in their respective industries and collectively added millions of rupees in revenue to the national exchequer” he informed.

Going further, the project manager revealed that following the program’s success, KPITB is now working towards creating better opportunities for women through their latest Digital Skills Program. Funded by the Multi Donor Trust Fund (MDTF) for the women of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the program will offer variety of courses including Digital Marketing Skills, Graphic Designing, Blogging, Content Writing and etc. These courses will be available through KPITB labs established in various universities and colleges across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “Through the Women Empowerment through Digital Skills Program, we hope to not only train women but also create more digital employment opportunities for them. We have so far received over 1,944 applications from around the province, which shows how interested our women are in this program,” shared Yousafzai. “The program’s first cohort will include 500 women, who will begin their training online, in the wake of Covid-19. If the situation gets betters, the remaining trainees will be sent to KPITB centres, as intended,” he added.

Other initiatives

Speaking to The Express Tribune KPITB Communication Manager Danish Baber shared that up till now the board has collectively launched 15 initiatives under Digital Governance, 9 under Digital Skills, 9 under Digital Economy and 9 under Digital Access. All of which are directed towards achieving the goal of Prime Minister’s Digital Pakistan initiative.

He further informed that last year, the board had also launched the first ever government-owned Business Process Outscoring (BPO) facility to facilitate the national and international BPO companies. The facility, known as Workaround, still operative in the provincial capital, has the capacity to accommodate over 350 workers at any given time.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2020.